126
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

poor, and every bottom is occupied by swamp.
The slopes at the side, however, have a good
soil, and will make some desirable farms and
no doubt by frequent burning and close
feeding, with perhaps a little labour here
and there in clearing the water-courses, the
flat will so far improve as to afford good
feed for stock.

On the North side of Patterson's Inlet
three saw mills have been erected, and one of
them has been worked pretty extensively.
The timber sawn is exclusively Rimu of very
small size. The trees are thinly scattered
among the Rata and scrub, but as the land
rises steeply from sheltered and easily navig-
able waters for many miles, the timber is
easily got down and floated to the mills.

The two peninsulas which narrow the
mouth of the harbour seem to have been the
favourite haunt of the hardy adventurers
who, attracted by the whales and seals which
formerly greatly abounded on these coasts,
took up their lonely abode nearly thirty
years ago on this spot. Many of these still
remain, though the original object of their
advent has long since disappeared, and the
growth of the Colony in their vicinity has
increased their disabilities without adding
anything to their wealth and comfort. The
original settlers are now aged men, but they
are generally surrounded by half-caste
families, who constitute a little community
which has grown up entirely without aid or
care from the Government, and which is
remarkable for the general good conduct of
its members. I find that very few of these
old residents have prosecuted claims to the
land on which they reside, which they
originally occupied by the consent of its
native owners, and which they have always
considered as their own. Though they can
not now assert any legal title, I trust that
whenever the native title to the island at
large is extinguished, steps will be taken to
secure the inheritance of these spots for their
families. It would indeed be unfortunate if
the advent of the Government should have
the effect of depriving of their homesteads
these earliest colonists, and if these numerous
half-caste children should be left landless in
the land which their fathers were the first
Europeans to explore, and of which their
maternal ancestors were the sole possessors.

North of Paterson's Inlet, a belt of one or
two miles in depth from the coast extends,
with few interruptions, to Saddle Point,
consisting of ridges generally of no great
height, and of which the greater portion
might be brought into cultivation.

Port William being a good harbour, very
easy of access, and a most convenient port of
call for vessels wind-bound in Foveaux
Straits, presents greater inducements for
immediate settlement than any other part of
the Island. There is an excellent situation
for a small township, and it seems probable
that colonists would be induced to settle
there if the land should be thrown open for
sale. Here, as elsewhere, the land is thickly
wooded, but many of the trees are suitable
for sawing, and the scrub would not be very
difficult to fall and burn. When once
cleared there is no doubt the soil would be
very fertile, and would produce excellent
crops of potatoes and other vegetables; or
if laid down in grass would afford very
abundant pasture.

From all enquiries I made with regard to
climate, and from my own observation, I am
inclined to think that on the east side of
Stewart's Island, north of Port Pegasus, the
temperature will be found to be considerably
milder than at Invercargill and its immediate
vicinity. Certainly, the westerly winds will
be much less felt, from the shelter afforded
by the mountains in the interior, and from
the slopes of the land to the north-east; but
it is undoubtedly very wet. It is not probable
that the actual rainfall is greater than on
the mainland, but small drizzly rain is very
frequent. The harbours on the east coast
are certainly excellent, being both safe and
convenient of access; and all the coast from
Saddle Point to Port Pegasus with its deep
indentations, presents every facility for
communication by boats or vessels of
every kind, and the great abundance and
excellent quality of the fish will make that
a considerable recourse. The quality of the
Stewart's Island oysters has long been cele-
brated, and I carefully examined the con-
dition of this fishery. These oysters occa-
sionally adhere to the rocks a little above
high-water mark, but they have for the most
part been dredged up from certain limited
banks, which were found far up the harbours,
in about three fathoms water; the few banks
hitherto discovered are pretty nearly ex-
hausted. No doubt numbers of other banks
will be found, but it is hardly probable that
the oysters on them will be found, when
taken, to be in so good condition as they
were on the old banks, for these last
were just in the sort of positions in which
oysters are artificially bedded, near the
heads of bays at the mouths of small
fresh water streams. At all events, it is
certain that this fishery can never be a con-
siderable object of industry until the oysters
are regularly bedded and tended here as at
home. It is impossible that the facilities for
doing this should be greater than at Stewart's
Island, and there is no doubt that with good
management and some little capital, this may
be made a profitable and considerable branch
of industry.

Ship-building is another pursuit for which
this island affords peculiar facilities. The
Rata timber, which grows everywhere
abundantly, of the most suitable sizes and
forms for this purpose, makes the best pos-
sible frames for vessels. On the whole, it is
impossible to resist the conclusion that the
colonization of Stewart's Island presents
very great difficulties and drawbacks. It
will, ultimately, I have no doubt, form a
very important and valuable part of the
colony, but so much labour will be required